16.816: John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act

16.816

Active

Office of Justice Programs (OJP) [DOJ]

July 28, 2022

July 28, 2022

Goals: For all States or Territories to be able to recruit and retain talented (and eligible) local, state, and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors by setting up and maintaining a student loan repayment assistance program for their most student loan financially burdened attorneys that agree commit to continued extended employment in the roles of eligible public interest law. Objectives: To encourage and retain qualified attorneys to choose careers as local and state prosecutors and local, state and federal public defenders, and to continue in that capacity for a minimum of thirty thirty-six (36) months.

B - Project Grants (Discretionary)

Applicants are limited to state and U.S. territory government agencies, designated by their Governor, and the District of Columbia, designated by the Mayor, to manage this program. The States, Territories, and the District of Columbia will make loan payments directly to the institutions holding eligible beneficiary loans on behalf of eligible beneficiaries. See below for eligibility information.

For purposes of this program the following persons shall be considered eligible: Prosecutor - full-time employee of a State or unit of local government (including tribal government) who is continually licensed to practice law and prosecutes criminal or juvenile delinquency cases at the state or unit of local government level (including supervision, education, or training of other persons prosecuting such cases). 34 U.S.C.§10671. Prosecutors who are employees of the federal government are not eligible. Public Defender – an attorney who is continually licensed to practice law and is a full time employee of a State or unit of local government (including tribal government) who provides legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases including supervision, education, or training of other persons providing such representation; is a full time employee of a nonprofit organization operating under a contract with a State or unit of local government who devotes substantially all of the employee’s full-time employment to providing legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases including supervision, education, or training of other persons providing such representation; or employed as a full-time Federal defender attorney in a defender organization pursuant to subsection (g) of section 3006A of Title 18, United States Code, that provides legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases.

https://sam.gov/fal/fe35a1d91b5c42deb366888208d03373/view